The color payoff is sheer to semi-opaque but does require a few layers to get true-to-pan color (and the coverage of these ranges from sheer to greater). It has a slightly dry consistency that makes it a smidgen on the powdery side. The formula is supposed to wear for six hours, and this does–but it is noticeably faded after seven. I don’t think six hours is particularly great wear, but because it’s all MAC says it’s supposed to last, it meets the claim.

Like At Dusk, this is a subtle color for anyone who is has medium-colored skin or deeper. I’m about NC25/NC30, and it shows up as a barely-there peach–a little warmth and glow–and on fairer complexions, the color may be more apparent. On deeper complexions, it might not show up at all. The finish is really lovely applied, though, as it buffs out to a beautiful, glowing sheen that doesn’t emphasize pores and looks effortlessly natural. If it shows up on your complexion, it’s worth a look-see.

P.S. — Does anyone else find it interesting that the blushes are supposed to have six-hour wear while the Skinfinishes are supposed to have ten-hour wear? The description is off, too, since these don’t actually have a metallic finish at all. I just wonder what magic is in the Skinfinish that isn’t in the eyeshadows or blushes!

Of the six, this was my favorite, because it applied the best–it was so, so smooth and had only a smidgen of dryness. It was soft without being powdery, and it melted against the skin when applied. The dry application is quite pigmented, and the damp application just made the finish slightly more metallic, but they were about the same either way. Smoky Mauve had the best texture, as the product seemed to bind with itself better, which helped to create that smoother finish. It lasted seven hours without fading or creasing (and it’s only designed to last for six).

This shade had sheer color when applied dry, and when applied damp, the color was buildable to semi-opaque payoff–noticeably translucency but a fair amount of color. With enough patting and packing on of the color, mostly opaque color is possible. It had a slightly dry consistency, and I actually felt this shade was not as soft or as blendable as the others–it tended to stick in places, especially when I used it damp. If I applied it dry, then it was more blendable, but it was so sheer that it was hard to get really even color. When I wore Triple Impact, it wore for six hours well, but it was slightly faded after seven hours (but it’s only marketed as six-hour wear).

The texture of this still has that slightly dry feeling that the Extra Dimension finish seems to have (a dryness that’s not really bad, but it is still there), but it applies very smoothly–almost as if it melts against the skin. Applied dry, it has semi-opaque color coverage, and applied damp, it intensifies the color payoff to mostly opaque with a stronger reflective sheen. It blended well on the lid, and it wore for seven hours without creasing or fading (MAC claims six).

MAC Zestful Extra Dimension Eyeshadow ($21.00 for 0.07 oz.) is described as a “pale iridescent lime.” It’s an iridescent, pastel green with warm, golden-green sheen and a frosted, metallic finish. I don’t have any real dupes for it; Too Faced Fantasy island is warmer, yellower and bareMinerals Wicked is greener, warmer. Zestful has an aqua-ish base color with a warmer, more golden shimmer that gives it complexity.

Applied dry, it went on surprisingly smooth (smoother than other shades), and it had semi-opaque pigmentation. Applied damp, it was more intensely pigmented, and it appeared more metallic and even smoother. It is very reflective when swatched on the skin, but on the lid, it did seem to lighten a bit and the iridescent effect didn’t stand out as much. I think if it was paired with deeper, richer colors, it might pop out more (I just happened to use it alongside shades in this launch, and they all turned rather pastel applied), or it might be nice layered over black. The texture felt softer than a lot of other shades with this formula, though there was still a residual dryness, but it just seemed to bind and hold together better. There was some very slight fading after six hours, but it wasn’t too noticeable.

The Extra Dimension formula is supposed to wear for six hours with color payoff that “ranges from sheer crystallized light to a highly polished metallic effect.” Applied dry, it had good color payoff, and applied damp, it became more frosted and had slightly better pigmentation–but the difference was very subtle. The texture is lightly dry but soft, and it applies smoothly to the lid; the texture is consistent with this type of formula. When I applied it to the lid, it seemed lighter on the lid than when I swatched. Dimensional Blue wore seven hours without fading (even longer than the six claimed) when applied damp over bare skin.